


My Love

by uswntfan103



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-03
Updated: 2018-11-04
Packaged: 2019-07-24 10:10:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16172969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/uswntfan103/pseuds/uswntfan103
Summary: One-shots of Tobin and Christen. I will add characters to the tags as they appear. I'm going to try to keep it loosely based on social media (so lots of fluff), but I will probably add some stories from my own imagination as well. Also, I'm happy to take suggestions.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I was at the USWNT game vs. Chile at Avaya Stadium and sometime late in the second half, when Tobin had been subbed off, the video screen showed her sitting on the bench and she made a heart with her hands. I learned afterward that Christen had gone home early from camp due to a family matter. So I was inspired to write this…
> 
> This is my first women’s soccer fanfic, so I would appreciate any and all feedback.

Everyone was feeling lazy the day before their final game against Chile, not having practice until the afternoon. Christen was lying on, her bed reading a magazine. Her roommate Kelley, back at camp for the first time in what felt like forever, was in the bathroom getting ready. Christen heard a phone ring and leaned over to the nightstand, surprised to see that it was her mother. She normally called in the evening, and they had just seen each other the night before. She picked up and heard “Christen?”, her mom’s voice serious and laced with worry. 

“Hey Mom,” she responded, “Is something wrong?”

“Are you sitting down honey?” Christen felt her heart speed up at those words and her mother’s solemn tone of voice. She sounded like she was about to tell her daughter that someone died. 

“Yeah, yeah” she replied impatiently,” Can you please just tell me what’s happening? You’re scaring me Mom.” She heard her mom take a breath through the phone as she started to explain. No, no, no, no, no was all Christen could think How can this be happening? as she refused to process the tragedy that was making her mother’s voice grow steadily weaker. She felt her cheeks grow wet and realized she must have cried aloud as Kelley came running out of the bathroom. 

“Christen! What’s wrong? You f*cking scared the hell out of me!” she yelled. Her voice softened as she saw the tears running down her friend’s face. She gently put her arm around Christen and rubbed her shoulder. “Chris, what’s wrong? Can you please tell me what happened?” she pleaded. Christen handed Kelley her phone, still connected to her mom and buried her face in her shoulder, unable to vocalize the horrific news she had just heard. After a long while, filled with mhmms and yes’s, Christen’s brain began to force her to process the news she had just heard. How can this be happening? You knew it was coming. Don’t lie to yourself. It’s been coming for years. Kelley wrapped her arms around Christen in a brief, comforting hug, then got up and walked out of the room, leaving Christen to curl into a ball, drowning in her thoughts and tears. 

“Mal” Kelley called, walking into the hallway to knock on the girl’s door “Mallory Pugh, get out of there this instant” She opened the door seconds later, a look of fear on her face “Um, yeah?” she responded nervously, wondering what she had done to make Kelley so upset. Kelley briefly explained to her what had happened in Christen’s family and she started walking toward their room. “No” Kelley grabbed her arm “I need you to get Tobin for me. She went out with a ball this morning to get some touches in”

“No surprises there” Mal replied, both knowing that Tobin couldn’t sit still without a ball on her feet for long. Kelley rolled her eyes, clearly unamused by her attempt at humor, and pushed her down the hallway. 

“Hurry up, Christen needs her” she snapped, turning on her heel and walking down the hallway on a mission. Mission Save Christen is what we’ll call it she thought to herself. The door to Alex’s room was already open, so she strode inside, grabbing the forward’s wrists and dragging her out to the hallway, ignoring her grumbling complaints and questions. “I need your help” she explained, telling Alex about Christen as they walked down the hall together. “Go tell Jill what happened and get her a flight home. Preferably as soon as possible,” knowing that Alex, as one of the captains, wasn’t afraid of talking to Jill and would be able to get her task done more efficiently than anyone else on the team. 

Mal finally found Tobin at a beach near the hotel, juggling with bare feet. She looked up, hearing the young star call her name, surprised to see her. They didn’t know each other that well, so Tobin assumed that she had just come out to the beach to run or something like that. “You need to come back to the hotel right now. I’ll explain while we walk,” Mal called. Tobin slipped her flip-flops back on and jogged over to the sidewalk, thinking that maybe she had forgotten about a team meeting or something. As Mal begin to explain, she watched Tobin closely, noticing how she bit her lip harder and harder, and watched her eyes widen in concern. As she heard Mal nervously trail off, she handed her the ball and sprinted off, ignoring the girls sputters of “wait, what where are you going?” She ran through the hallway, up several flights of stairs, and into Christen and Kelley’s room, finding her girlfriend crying into Kelley’s shoulder, while Kelley was furiously typing away on her laptop. Kelley looked up, when she heard someone come into the room,” Oh thank god you’re here Tobin” she gushed, breathing a sigh of relief,” I’ll be right back. I need to go figure something out.” 

Shaking her head to clear her mind, she climbed onto the bed and slid next to Christen, who, still weakly crying, hadn’t registered her presence. When she felt Tobin’s arm snake around her back and hold onto her waist, she looked up and met her eyes, managing to stammer out “T-t-tobin, m-m-my” before burying her face in Tobin’s lap and dissolving into tears once again. “Shhh, it’s alright baby. You don’t have to tell me what happened. We’re gonna be okay” she comforted her, stroking her hair and gently rubbing small circles on her back.

Christen turned over and wrapped her arms around Tobin’s midsection, holding on to the only small comfort she had. She never felt as at home as she did in her girlfriend’s arms, surrounded by her familiar scent and soft t-shirt. They stayed there for a while, Christen calming herself down enough to stop crying and take some shaky breaths. Reaching over to the nightstand, Tobin grabbed some tissues and handed them to her. Christen slowly sat up, resting her head on Tobin’s shoulder and allowing herself to be held. 

Kelley came back in, announcing that Christen had a flight in three hours, walking around the room, throwing things back into her suitcase. “I’ll take her” Tobin volunteered and Kelley looked at her, her eyes asking if she really wanted to do it. “I know I’ll be late for training, but I think I can survive Jill’s wrath” she countered. 

 

Christen wasn't ready to go yet. Despite the fact that they were in the middle of a crowded airport, Christen held on to her girlfriend, with her arms wrapped tightly around her shoulders, and face buried in her neck. 

“C’mon babe, you’re gonna miss your flight if you don’t get going soon” Tobin urged her to go.

“But I’m scared” she whispered, fear prevalent in her shaky voice. 

“I know, but you’re gonna get through this. Christen, look at me.” Tobin paused until she released her grip slightly and they locked eyes, “You are one of the strongest women I know. If anyone can do it, I know you can.” 

“Thank you” she whispered back, still refusing to let go. 

“I love you” Tobin pressed a kiss to the top of her head, then released herself from the embrace and pushed her gently toward security, calling after her, “I’ll see you soon.” She saw a little extra lift in Christen’s step upon hearing those words. 

 

Tobin woke to a ding from her phone, alerting her that she had a new message. She rubbed her eyes and reached over to grab it off the nightstand, squinting at the bright light. She switched the volume to silent (something she always forgot to do before going to bed), saw that it was just after 2 am and she had a text from Christen. She unplugged her phone, slipping out of bed and onto the balcony to avoid waking up Alex, her roommate. Instead of responding to her girlfriend’s text asking if she was up, Tobin called her and she picked up on the first ring. “Hey babe” she greeted her, “What’s up?”

“Sorry for waking you up” Christen apologized, her voice hoarse and scratchy. It sounded like she had been crying, “I just needed to talk.” 

“No need to be sorry Chris,” she replied softly, “You know you can always talk to me, right?” She heard Christen take a deep breath through the line and waited for her to speak. 

“Tyler doesn’t think you should come to stay with us” she blurted out quickly. Tobin was stunned. She knew that Christen’s sister wasn’t the fondest of her, but she also knew that Tyler had warmed up to her lately. So it came as a bit of a shock to hear that she didn’t want her with the family. Tobin knew how important Christen’s family was to her and she didn’t want to step out of her place with them. 

“If you don’t want me to come, then I won’t babe. I don’t wanna like intrude on your family or anything” Tobin tried not to let the hurt show in her voice.

“No, no. I want you to come. It’s just that we, um, got into a really big fight today. And w-well, T-t-tyler think that I only care about you and t-that I d-don’t even care about my f-family anymore,” Christen struggled to hold back her tears. 

“Babe, I know that’s not true. You love your family so much. I’ll never come before them. But if you want to spend some time with them without me, that doesn’t mean I’ll be happy, but I’ll respect that” she could hear Christen sobbing softly and continued to comfort her.

"Tobin I want you to come. I don't care what Tyler thinks; I need you here. "

"Then I guess I'm coming. I love you Chris."

"Love you too. Goodnight."

"Night babe." Tobin hung up.


	2. Full Of Surprises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, before camp in NC, according to their social media, Tobin and Christen went camping together. Christen posted a picture and Tobin posted of herself in which there is debate over whether she is wearing clothes or not, so I’ll just leave it at that…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve never written smut before, so if it sucks, I’m sorry. I hate to beg for reviews, but I would love to hear y’all’s opinions. 
> 
> I’ll try to update as soon as possible. I have a couple of ideas, but in general, I’m trying not to post until I have at least one more chapter written so I don’t go too long w/o posting.

As soon as she heard Christen close the door behind her, to do her daily meditation outside, Tobin sprung out of bed and got ready as fast as she possibly could. She rifled through her closet, not caring how much of a mess she made as she furiously tossed clothes aside and tossed other into a duffle bag. She went around their apartment, gathering all the camping supplies she could possibly think of that she owned. Just as she heard Christen turn the key and open the door, she slid onto the couch, turning on ESPN and trying to look like she had been there the whole time, despite the fact that she was obviously breathing hard and her face was shining with sweat. 

“Morning Tobin” Christen sounded confused, “What have you been up to?”

“Uhhhh, nothing. I mean, uh, I’ve just been watching TV,” she stammered

“Right.” the skepticism in her voice was obvious, “Then why is the living room, which I’m sure was clean before I left, a huge disaster? And what is that duffel bag doing there? And why are you panting?” she questioned. 

“It’s a surprise. Go get dressed and then you’ll find out. And don’t take forever please”

“Fine,” she stretched out the I, faking annoyance. Tobin went down to load her car and Christen was ready to go by the time she came back.

“So where are we going?” Christen tried to catch off guard.

“Nice try, but it’s still a surprise.” Christen pouted, but Tobin simply grabbed her hand and dragged her downstairs.

“I don’t even get to eat breakfast,” she complained. 

“Shhhh” Tobin brought her lips to Christen’s, silencing her with a chaste kiss, “Get in the car already.” Tobin refused to answer any of her questions as she drove through the streets of Portland, stopping briefly at one of her favorite brunch spots to pick up breakfast sandwiches for both of them, and out of the city limits. They turned a sharp corner and Christen inhaled sharply.

“You ok?” Tobin asked, reaching for her hand. 

“Yeah, I just forget how beautiful it is here sometimes” squeezing gently, her way of silently communicating that she was fine. Tobin nodded. She was right. Endless rows of lush trees lined the mountainsides, like a thick green carpet. And the sky was a bright blue, dotted with a few wispy clouds. Below them, running alongside a steep cliff, was a gently flowing river. Christen stared out the window, lost in the beauty of the surrounding scenery, forgetting to wonder where they were going, until Tobin pulled off the highway into a state park parking lot. 

“You know I hate camping Tobin.” She frowned, but Tobin shook her head.

“But I know you’re going to love it this time.”

“And why’s that?”

“Well, you’ll just have to wait and see,” she smirked. Christen rolled her eyes, but couldn’t help wondering what might be in store for her. They drove up to the campsite and Tobin put the car in park. “Wait,” she got out and opened Christen’s door for her. 

“You and your goddamn chivalry. What am I going to do with you Tobin Heath?”

“I don’t know, maybe kiss me?” 

“Nice try, but no. Not until you take me home at least.” Tobin unfolded a chair and shoved a mug full of steaming coffee and a book into Christen’s hand. 

“You,” she pointed towards the chair, “Go sit.” Christen could feel Tobin’s eyes on her as she walked over to sit. 

At least she had the self-respect to blush when Christen turned around and asked, “What’cha staring at me for?” No response. Tobin quickly busied herself digging around the back of the car. 

 

A while later, Christen heard Tobin cry out “Done!” throwing her hands up in the air in triumph. To be fair, she had set up their tent and the kitchen in, Christen realized she had no idea how long she had been reading for. She had allowed herself to get lost in the novel for the first time in a very long time. She had to give Tobin credit for bringing the book she had been carrying around for months but never had a chance to read. It wasn’t that she wasn’t thoughtful; she just was in ways that you wouldn’t normally expect. Nevertheless, Christen appreciated it. “Ready for lunch?” she asked, offering her hand to help her up. Christen put her book down and took it, following her lead to the table. 

“I might actually be starting to like camping. I mean, if you do all the work and I just get to sit around and read” she joked.

“Really? That was easy. Now you get to do all the cooking.” 

“I was joking Tobs. But of course I’ll help you. It’s not fair for you to do all the work.” She smiled and Tobin grinned back.

“Eat your lunch already. We’re operating on a tight schedule here” 

“Really?”

“No, I just wanted an excuse to tell you what to do.”

“It’s not like you’ve been doing that all morning”

“What are you talking about? Not at all. But seriously, I have plans for us this afternoon.” 

“And what might those plans involve?”

“Not telling. Just eat your lunch already.” Christen gave up protesting and took a bite from her quesadilla. She had finished her second before she realized how hungry she was, looking up to see Tobin watching her. 

“You know that’s the second time today I’ve caught you staring at me.”

“I’m not allowed to admire my beautiful girlfriend? And how amazing she looks in my hoodie?”

“What are you talking about? Tyler gave this to me for my birthday.”

“Uh, no, Sinc gave it to me last Christmas. It’s definitely mine.” Christen burst out laughing uncontrollably. Tobin stared at her, utterly confused.

“Wait” she managed to get out between fits of laughter. Christen climbed into the tent and emerged a few seconds later with a carbon copy of the sweatshirt she was wearing. “We have the same one.”

“God, you’re so adorable” Tobin commented, pulling her onto the bench next to her and slipping her hand underneath Christen’s shirt to trace patterns on the small of her back. She rested her head on Tobin’s shoulder.

“Your hands are so warm,” she whispered into her ear. Looking up to meet Tobin’s eyes, she noticed the way her soft brown eyes glowed in the sunlight. She moved her hand to the back of Tobin’s neck and pulled her closer to press a kiss to her lips. Tobin deepened the kiss, slipping her tongue in, and hoisting Christen into her lap. In response, she swung a leg over so she was now straddling her and dug her fingertips into the soft skin of her back. Tobin slipped her hands under Christen’s shirt and under her bra strap. She moved her thumbs to gently caress her breasts.

“Tobin, stop. There’s a road right there. Anyone could see us,” Christen pushed her shoulders away. Tobin pouted but untangled her limbs slowly. 

“You know, I did have plans for us, anyway. There’s a river down that way,” she pointed, “That’s apparently great for swimming”

“Tobin, I’m not swimming. It’s freezing out.”

“It’s not freezing” she pulled out her phone, “It’s a very pleasant 70 degrees.”

“Exactly. I don’t swim unless it’s above 80.”

“Well, you can’t stop me from swimming.”

“No, I suppose I can’t.”

Tobin pulled off her t-shirt and kicked off her shorts, taking a running start to jump off a rock into the water. She surfaced and swam over the bank where Christen was absorbed in her phone. She looked up when Tobin splashed her gently.

“Tobin Heath, I swear you are going to be the death of me. The things I want to do to you right now” her eyes roamed freely over her girlfriend’s exposed tan skin and tight halter bikini top.

“What do you want to do to me babe?” Tobin goaded her.

“I’m absolutely not finishing that sentence right now.”

“Can I at least have a kiss? Since you so rudely stopped me earlier.” Christen made a face, then walked over and placed a quick, chaste kiss on her lips, “No, a real kiss.” She relented, pulling Tobin’s lips into hers. She smelled clean from the water, not in a fresh laundry kind of way, but in a pure, nature kind of way and Christen loved it. She ran her fingers over Tobin’s back, feeling water droplets and soft skin, tracing patterns that made her arch into her touch. Tobin tried to pull Christen’s hips closer and she fell back. Christen shrieked as she was dragged into the ice-cold water. Breathing hard, she pushed herself out using the rock, shivering violently. 

“I’m so sorry babe,” Tobin had followed her out

“No, you’re not. You totally planned that”

“You really think so little of me? I swear it was an accident. My clothes are still dry, you can wear them back,” she suggested, tossing them to her. Christen shed all modestly, stripping from her wet clothes and pulling on Tobin’s. Even the t-shirt smelled as familiar as her girlfriend, with her vanilla shampoo and men’s deodorant because she complained that women’s was too expensive (which was ridiculous, considering she spent hundreds of dollars on hoodies, but that was beside the point). Tobin picked up her stuff and offered her hand. 

“I’m sorry. I really am. I’ll make it up to you. I promise.” Christen squeezed and nodded.


	3. Never Have I Ever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ummmm, the title is pretty self explanatory. A harmless team game reveals some deep secrets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t really know where my inspiration came from for this one, but I hope you like it. I wrote it while procrastinating on schoolwork, so...

The veterans were gathered in Kelley’s room one day after practice, sitting in a circle in the ground, with the beds pushed to the side. Christen was resting her head in Tobin’s lap, and Tobin was gently stroking her hair. Kelley giggled, demonstrating her maturity, or rather lack of it, “You guys are so cute.” 

“Thanks Kells,” Tobin replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm, “I’m glad you approve” Kelley’s expression changed and Tobin stared at her, trying to read it. 

“No, I really mean it. If it was anyone else, it would be gross, but you guys are two of my friends. You really are perfect for each other.” A chorus of “awww” came from the group. Christen turned away, hiding her face in her hands and a blush crept up on Tobin’s face. 

“Ok can we, like, talk about something other than me and my girlfriend now?” Tobin was clearly uncomfortable. 

“Fine,” Kelley groaned. “Wanna play truth or dare?” she suggested.

“God, Kelley, we graduated from college years ago. Are you seriously still stuck on that?” Alex replied. 

“Fine, never have I ever?” Kelley proposes.

“Only if I get to go first” Alex agrees. Without waiting for a response, she begins, "Never have I ever kissed a girl." Several girls groaned. Christen lifted her head from Tobin’s lap to shoot dagger eyes at Alex. 

“God Alex, you freakin’ straight girls have to ruin everything,” Pinoe grumbled in frustration. 

“I just want to win” she shrugged in response, smirking,” I won’t make you put one finger for each girl if you can name all the girls you’ve ever kissed. They went around the circle, strolling down memory lane, with the rest of the girls reacting appropriately with laughs, groans, and occasional wolf-whistles. 

Tobin fought the jealousy rising in her stomach when she heard Christen name the girls she had kissed, watching her face as she reminisced. Suddenly, it was her turn and her mind had gone blank. Christen snapped in her face, bringing her attention back to the room. Oh, shit, it’s my turn. 

“Um, Christen, Shirley,” she stated the obvious, then paused. 

Kelley interjected, “God knows how many girls you kissed in college Tobs.” Tobin pressed her lips together, clearly having something else to say. She ran a hand through her hair, inhaling sharply to steady herself.   
“And, um, I once kissed Vero in a bar in Portland when we were drunk and hurting.” she admitted, finishing quickly. 

Christen sat up and narrowed her eyes at her, “You did what now?” even though she had heard Tobin’s words just as clearly as everyone else. 

“I’m sorry, I really am. I should have told you a long time ago. But I, like I said, we just wanted to forget about it. I was embarrassed that I let it happen and so was she.” 

“TOBIN POWELL HEATH,” Christen raised her voice, “That is no fucking excuse for not telling me. You cheated on Shirley and Vero cheated on me and you never thought about telling me. And you lied to Shirley about never cheating on her. I just can’t even b-believe you anymore” Her voice broke as she finished, making no effort to stop the tears from running down her cheeks. Anger bubbled up inside her, at the thought of the girl she loved kissing her ex. She wanted to scream. Instead, she turned to Kelley and buried her face into her shoulder, wanting comfort as she cried hot tears. 

Kelley held up a hand and commanded “Stop” hoping to prevent the rest of the girls from discussing what they had just seen unfold. “It’s not your business. Tobin and Christen need to work it out themselves” she continued, holding Christen and rubbing her back gently. The team slowly began to get up and walk out, leaving Christen and Kelley alone. 

Kelley look at her, eyes full of sympathy, “I’m so sorry Christen. I had no idea.”

“No, Kells, it’s not your fault. It just, the thing that hurts the most is that I know exactly when it happened. Vero and I were going through a rough patch, trying to get used to being long distance, and I heard you and Tobin talking about her and Shirley going through the same thing. We knew how much each other was hurting and we let us depend on each other too much. I think we both led the other on more than we meant to. And then she goes and kisses my girlfriend,” her voice dropped to a whisper, trying to hide how hard she was fighting back tears, “I love her so much Kelley. How could she do that to me?” Kelley’s heart ached for the girl sitting next to her. 

“I don’t know what to say to you. I think you have to hear it from her. But I still stand by what I said earlier. I really hope you guys can figure it out” she paused, “And I’ll always be here for you”  
“Thanks Kelley, it means a lot,” Christen hugged her, soothed by Kelley’s gentle back rubbing. 

 

Christen tossed and turned, trying to find a comfortable position to sleep. Her head hurt from crying endless tears and she felt like her heart had been ripped out of her chest. She was trying not to think about Tobin, which of course, was the best way to think about Tobin, when she heard a knock on the door. She looked at Kelley, her roommate, and nodded her head towards the door, whispering-shouting, “If it’s Tobin, I’m sleeping.” She got an eye-roll in response. Christen buried her head under a pillow, trying to block out her girlfriend’s voice. 

Kelley and Tobin stood talking for what seemed like forever and Christen finally couldn’t stand not knowing anymore. She lifted the pillow and heard, “Can you at least tell Chris that if she wants to talk, I’m right outside?” silence, then “Please, Kells?”   
Kelley exhaled and finally responded, “Fine, but no guarantee that she’ll actually want to talk to you”. The door shut. Kelley came back into the room. Christen started to say something but Kelley wouldn’t let her. “Can you at least give her a chance? She did seem genuinely sorry.” But Christen stubbornly refused. 

“Fine, I’m going to bed then.” she sounded defeated

Christen waited until she heard the sound of her breathing even out, and then a little longer, to make sure she was sound asleep, then slipped out of bed and went out into the hall. Tobin sat against the wall, with her knees hugged to her chest and her fingers buried in her hair, hands over her face. 

“Tobin?” she whispered weakly.

Her voice was strained as she replied, “I’m so sorry Christen. You deserve so much better. There is no excuse for what I did and absolutely no excuse for me not telling you. You have every right to be hate me.” Christen heard the tears rising in her throat and watched as one slowly slipped down Tobin’s cheek. 

“You’re right, there’s no excuse, but I love you too much to not forgive you. Just one, well two, conditions.” 

“Anything.” Christen gently pried Tobin’s hands away from her head and took them in hers, squeezing gently, relishing the contact. “One, you have to promise to never keep anything like this from me again.” 

“Of course.”

“And you have to tell Shirley that you cheated on her. I don’t care what you two were going through at the time. She cared about you a lot and she deserves to know the truth.” Tobin nodded slowly, knowing that Christen was right. Christen placed her hands on Tobin’s face, and gently pressed a kiss to her forehead, leaving her lips there for much longer than necessary, tasting the salty sweat and allowing herself to get lost in the comforting scent of her vanilla shampoo. When her hands grew wet with Tobin’s tears, she pulled away a little. 

“I’m sorry babe” Christen looped her fingers in Tobin’s jeans, pulling her hips closer and slipping her thumb under her shirt to trace circles on her waist. 

“I know you are. I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have reacted so harshly and made such a scene in front of all the other girls.” Tobin gathered Christen in her arms and leaned her head on Christen’s shoulder. The familiar embrace reminded how much Christen loved being held by her girlfriend. It was the only place where she allowed herself to be so open and so vulnerable. Tobin kissed the side of her neck softly and neither of them moved, not wanting to break the gentle intimacy of the moment.

“What did I do to deserve you?” she murmured into Christen’s ear, watching a soft smile make its way onto her lips. 

They jumped apart as they heard a door open and Alex’s voice, “Hey Tobs, has Christen murdered you yet?” 

“Alexxxx” Christen faux-whined, “Do you really have to give away all my plans?” Tobin elbowed her and she laughed. 

“So, I guess I’ll just leave you alone now” Alex closed the door, realizing that she had interrupted a private moment. 

“Wanna go for a walk?” Tobin suggested, holding her hand out. Christen laced their fingers together in lieu of responding and they walked out of the hotel together.


	4. Suerte

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was inspired by a song that we listened to in Spanish class called ‘Suerte’ by Jason Mraz to write this. I HIGHLY recommend listening to it before you read this. 
> 
> This is my rough translation of the chorus (which is the general idea of the song I was trying to convey)
> 
> Suerte que despierto junto a ti // Lucky that I get to wake up next to you  
> Suerte que senti lo que sentí // Lucky you feel the same way about me that I feel about you  
> Suerte que regresas para mi // Lucky that you always come back to me

They were out celebrating their dominant win over Mexico. Christen had been upset that she didn’t get to play, but Tobin had cheered her up by dragging her to the dance floor. They had been dancing all night, surrounded by body heat and sweat and upbeat music. A slower song came on and they pulled each other closer, holding waists and resting chins on shoulders, gently swaying to the beat of the music. Christen hummed softly, her whispers tickling Tobin’s ear. 

She began to sing louder when the chorus came on “Suerte que despierto junto a ti // Suerte que senti lo que senti // Suerte que regresas para mi.” Tobin had never heard Spanish sound so beautiful. Shirley’s Spanish was always rough and broken like old, rusty metal, but Christen’s sounded so melodious. What did I do to deserve her? She’s beautiful and perfect and has the most amazing voice and I’m here about to be a pathetic sobbing mess. She felt tears rising, but blinked her eyes hard, waiting until the song was over to tug on Christen’s hand.

“What?” she heard as she dragged her through the throng of people in the bar and around to the side of the building. She stopped, burying her head in Christen’s shoulder and using all her willpower not to cry. 

“Tobin?” she felt a gentle hand run slowly down her spine, and she tried not to shiver at the delicate touch. There she was with her perfect voice again. She finally looked up, digging the heel of her hands into her eyes.

“How did I get so lucky?” her voice cracked on the last syllable and she saw a look of understanding cross her girlfriend’s face before everything around her began to blur. She registered that tears were falling thickly down her face.

“Oh, Tobin, don’t cry” she heard consoling, “I’m the one who’s lucky.” 

“No, I’m serious Christen. Hear me out. You were upset that you didn’t get to play today and you handled it with so much grace because you’re a fucking queen. And then you’re here singing songs in your fucking beautiful Spanish about how lucky you are to have my in my ear. And here I am being a pathetic blubbering mess because you’re too good for me and I don’t deserve you.” 

“No don’t say that Tobin. You’re the reason I didn’t beat myself up about not playing and you’re always here for me when I need it even though I’m a mess all the time and you still love me.” 

Tobin laughed softly, Christen’s favorite sound in the entire world. She wanted to recorded Tobin’s laugh and listen to it on repeat forever. It was just so perfectly Tobin. “Look at us. We’re like an old married couple. Where did all this mushy stuff come from?”

“You started it” Christen pointed out. She opened her arms and Tobin leaned into her body, returning the embrace with a tight squeeze.

“I love you babe. I love you so much”

“Love you too Tobs” she paused and turned her head to the side, “I think I hear someone crying.” Tobin listened and nodded slowly in agreement. “Wait, I’ll be back in a second.” Tobin let her go and watched her walk around the corner, letting her body weight fall on the wall behind her. 

Christen immediately recognized the figure hunched up against the wall, knees pulled into her chest, head buried in her legs. “Mal?” she gently touched the girl’s shoulder. Silence. “You don’t have to say anything, but if you want to talk, I’m always here.” Christen sat on the wall beside her. Mal recognized the voice and looked sideways, taking a deep breath to collect herself before starting, “This guy was hitting on me and he wouldn’t take a hint. And then he tried to kiss me and he was old and gross and I wanted to” she mimed vomiting, “and then I pushed him off me and he started calling me all sorts of nasty names” dissolving into tears again.

“I’m so sorry” she couldn’t even recall the number of times she had been in the same position. Mal rested her head in Christen’s lap and she stroked her hair softly. After a while, she realized that the younger girl had fallen asleep and looked up to see Tobin watching her. 

“I see why you and Cheney were such good friends. You both have that motherly instinct.” Tobin kissed the top of her head. Christen knew exactly what she thinking about. They had talked about having kids before, and both agreed that they wanted to wait until their careers were over. While they admired teammates like Amy and Sydney, they didn’t think they could handle it with both of them still playing for their clubs and the national team. And it would involve coming out publicly, which neither of them were ready for yet. 

“Can you tell Becky and Kells that we’re leaving and call an uber?” 

“Yes, of course, Mama Press” 

Christen rolled her eyes, but responded, “Love you Tobs” even though she had already walked away.


	5. Corners

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So I wasn’t able to actually watch the game vs Panama due to some commitments. But I did hear that Christen took some pretty kickass corners. And we know who the real queen of corners is… (also fyi, I don’t really know anything about soccer technique, so bear with me here)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s basically a little bit of Tobin helping Christen practice her corners plus a lot of smut, so enjoy!

“And that’s it for today ladies.” Jill finished their team meeting. She hadn’t explicitly announced the lineup for tomorrow’s game against Panama, but she had made it clear that she would be rotating a majority of the usual starters, especially those who had played the full 90. Christen had come to the conclusion that she would be taking corners, due to the fact that Pinoe and Tobin wouldn’t be playing and Mal couldn’t take a corner to save her life. 

So unless Rose is playing, it’ll probably be me. She had fairly strong and consistent crosses, so she didn’t doubt her ability to be successful, but since she hadn’t taken a corner since she had played with the Red Stars more than a year ago, she reasoned that it couldn’t hurt to practice. She had come to this conclusion by the end of the meeting and tugged on Tobin’s hand to get her attention as they walked, but she was absorbed in a conversation with Alex. She pulled harder and Tobin finally turned towards her. 

“What’s up babe?” Christen bit her lip, hesitating. She hated asking for help; it always made her feel like she wasn’t good enough. 

“What is it?” This was Tobin. She shouldn’t be nervous. 

“Um, will you practice corners with me later?”

“Of course, babe” she smiled, wrapping her arm around Christen and squeezing her shoulder. 

“Awwww, you guys are so cute” Ashlyn had appeared next to Tobin.

“You’re one to talk,” Tobin retorted, “A little birdie told me that Kriegs is coming to watch you play tomorrow.” 

“Hey, we’re engaged now. We can do whatever we want,” she smirked, gently shoving Tobin’s shoulder, walking away with a smile spreading across her face. 

“Wanna go now?” Tobin asked.

“No, it’s too hot now. Let’s go after dinner.” Tobin agreed and they walked back to her room together. Christen picked up the remote and lay down on the bed. She felt it dip next to her, Tobin’s shoulders and hips touching hers. They flipped through channels, watching whatever was on that seemed mildly entertaining. 

Tobin, bored by the show that Christen had chosen, turned her head to press tender kisses along her jawline. She made her way down her neck and across her shoulder, sucking and biting softly, earning soft moans of pleasure and sudden gasps. Christen shifted her body, grinding their hips together, trying to find friction. Tobin tugged the hem of her shirt and she nodded, moving so she could take it off. Christen fisted Tobin’s shirt, dragging it swiftly over head in one motion. Tobin continued her assault on her chest, only stopping briefly to remove Christen’s bra before licking patterns with her tongue. She rubbed circles around her nipples gently with her thumbs, then bit down softly, eliciting a sharp intake of breath. 

“Don’t stop Tobin. Please” Christen begged, her voice all hot and needy, making Tobin crave her body even more. She trailed kisses down her stomach, tracing fingers over her abs. 

Christen clenched, wanting, no, needing more. “I need you” she sounded desperate, “inside me now. Please Tobin,” she begged. Tobin pulled down her shorts, not bothering to undo them properly. She moved down farther, kissing up Christen’s inner thighs softly but maddeningly slowly. Finally slipping a finger into her underwear, she could feel the desire pooling in her hand. She used her other hand to pull the last article of clothing off, stroking one finger, then adding another, and another. “Faster.” Christen urged her and she slipped her tongue in, swirling in and out, back and forth. She felt Christen’s heart rate speed up beneath her as she came, then watched her collapse on the bed in utter bliss, feeling satisfied.

“Your turn” Christen demanded control, flipping them over so she lay on top. Suddenly, they heard a knock on the door and sprung apart. 

“Are you decent? I know Pressy’s in here” a voice called. It was Kelley. 

“Give us one sec.” Tobin tried her best to make her voice sound even, but she knew Kelley could hear the breathlessness. She pulled her shirt back on and looked over at Christen, who nodded. “We’re good.” Kelley walked in. 

“Your shirt’s on backwards Tobs” she pointed, “Y’all should be glad it was me who interrupted you. A whole lotta other people would’ve given you a lot of shit for this.” 

“Thanks Kelley,” Christen replied sarcastically, “I’m sure you’re so glad you almost saw us naked.” 

“Before you started being so rude to me, I was going to ask if you wanted to go get ice cream with me.” 

“Sure!” Tobin, ever the child, bounded off the bed and grabbed her shoes. 

 

After dinner, they grabbed their stuff and headed out to the field. “You have strong crosses, so you should have no problem taking corners,” Tobin patted her shoulder, then jogged off toward the goal, kicking Christen a ball with her heel. They passed back and forth for a while, warming up. 

Finally, Tobin stopped and aimed at the corner flag instead of her girlfriend. “Show me what you got,” she encouraged. And she was right. Christen’s laser shots ended up right at her feet. “You’ve gotta get some in the air too. Rose, Mal, JJ, Alex, they’re much more likely to hit the back of the net off their head from a corner.”

She nodded, stepping back and the ball sailed over the goal. Then she hit the post. She missed again. And again. She sank to her knees, digging her fingers into her scalp, clearly frustrated with herself.

“Stop,” Tobin demanded. 

“I can’t do this,” she was on the verge of tears. Tobin sat down next to her.

“Look, it’s ok. Does every corner I take end up in the goal? Does every one of Pinoe’s?” Christen shook her head, “No, of course not. That would be impossible. Do we take some crappy corners? Of course.” A small smile crossed Christen’s lips. “Are you gonna take some crappy corners? Probably.” Christen hung her head, looking dejected. Tobin lifted up her chin with one finger so she could make eye contact. “And is that ok? Absolutely, positively, 100%. You just have to stay calm and not let it get to you. Can you do that for me?” 

“Yes. Yes I can.” her voice sounded more confident as she continued, “I’m probably gonna take some crappy corners, but I’m not going to let it bother me because if I do, Jill will probably never start me again.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. And don’t take crappy corners on purpose you idiot.” Christen gave her a look but, in truth, Tobin’s teasing always made her feel better. 

She stood up, determination making its way across her face. Ok, deep breath and you got this. Christen’s first ball made its way perfectly to Tobin’s head and she headed it into the back of net, just for fun. Her precision continued to improve as she hammered balls into the six. 

“Ok, I’m calling it. Your shots are too freaking perfect and I’d like to get some sleep tonight,” Tobin shouted.

They walked back to the Tobin’s room together, hand in hand, sweaty and tired, but glowing with happiness. Christen often thought that holding hands was the most underrated romantic gesture ever. It was so simple, yet so intimate. She was shaken from her thoughts as Tobin rested her head on her shoulder in the elevator. 

“Can I stay with you tonight? Kelley just texted me that Jill went out,” Christen asked.

“How could I say no to that?” Tobin grinned, opening the door and motioning for her to go in. Christen flopped backwards on the bed. 

“Get off my bed you sweaty mess,” Tobin elbowed her. Christen pushed her back hard, but she caught her balance annoyingly fast. Tobin wrapped an arm around her back and under her knees, picking Christen up bridal style and carrying into the bathroom, dropping her in the bathtub. 

“Owww,” Christen whined, rubbing her backside, “What was that for?”

“What are you doing in that shower with your clothes on Press?” Tobin reached over her to turn the shower on and Christen protested as the cold water hit her skin. Tobin stripped and climbed in, straddling her. Christen shed her clothes and tangled her fingers in Tobin’s hair, pushing her back flat against the floor to ravish her body with kisses. 

 

Tobin switched off the light and Christen snuggled closer to her, resting her head against her chest and reaching an arm over to play with her hair. She gently worked through the tangles, both of them relishing the quiet calmness of laying together. 

“I love you,” Tobin breathed into ear.

“Love you too.”

“Good night babe.”

“Good night.”

 

The final whistle blew and Christen couldn’t stop smiling. It felt so good to play a solid match, even if the opponent wasn’t great, and she couldn’t help but be happy that she had gotten a goal. And one of her corners had been an assist. They shook hands, making a special effort to congratulate Bailey on her spectacular game. Cheering filled the stadium, and they walked around for a while, taking it all in, content to enjoy the warm fall night and their victory. Christen saw Tobin following her out of the corner of her eye, clapping her hands in the air in celebration and thanking their fans, but it took all her willpower not to turn around and throw her arms around her. Tobin had become her biggest cheerleader and she couldn’t have been more grateful for her support. 

Back in the locker room, Tobin waited until Christen had showered and was pulling her clothes on to wrap her arms around her waist, pressing her lips to the back of her neck and nuzzling her nose into her shoulder.

“I’m so proud of you babe. You played great today.” Christen felt a warm glow in the bottom of her stomach. She turned around and slipped her fingers through Tobin’s hair, leaning close enough to touch their foreheads together. 

“Thank you” she managed to slip out softly.

“Yo, lovebirds. The bus is gonna leave without you.” Kelley called, urging them to get going. Tobin’s lips curled into a small smile as they slowly broke apart and Christen thought her heart might explode because she was so damn cute.


End file.
